The 2027 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) schedule is set to become the most packed and geographically diverse lineup in the sport's recent history, thanks to a series of strategic additions and expansions. At the forefront of these changes is the debut of the European Open, a brand‑new major tournament that will be staged in Salzburg, Austria, from June 18 to June 20. This three‑day showdown will sit directly after the World Cup of Darts, which returns to Frankfurt for its traditional June 10‑13 slot, and will lead straight into the World Matchplay in Blackpool, scheduled for July 17‑25. While the expanded calendar promises more opportunities for players and fans alike, it also adds another obstacle for the sport’s current world number one, Luke Littler, who is already on a quest to become only the second player ever to claim victory in every PDC televised major, a distinction previously held solely by Michael van Gerwen.
The European Open will be open to every holder of a PDC Tour Card, and it will feature a prize pool of £750,000, a figure that pushes the total number of PDC majors from eleven to twelve. For Littler, this development means an extra title to chase in his already demanding schedule.
The young English star has already made headlines by skipping several events on the European circuit earlier in the season, a decision that sparked debate among pundits about his commitment to the tour. The tension escalated after Littler publicly threatened to boycott future tournaments in the Netherlands following a hostile reception—booing and whistling—he endured during the World Series of Darts Finals. The addition of another major could therefore make his ambition of a clean sweep even more elusive. Beyond the new major, the European circuit itself is undergoing a substantial overhaul.
The European Championship will expand its field to 48 competitors and will stretch across six days of competition, with a total prize fund of £1 million up for grabs. This enlargement mirrors the PDC’s broader strategy to deepen its footprint across the continent, a plan that now includes a historic first‑time visit to France for a European Tour event. From March 19 to 21, the town of Lievin will host the fourth stop of a 15‑tournament European Tour season, marking the sport’s inaugural foray onto French soil. This French leg will follow earlier stops in Kiel (Germany), Krakow (Poland), and Riesa (Germany), and will be complemented by a robust slate of events later in the year in established venues across Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary and the Netherlands.
PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter highlighted the significance of these expansions, noting that the continued growth of darts throughout Europe has been “hugely exciting” and that the new events represent “another significant step forward for the PDC circuit.” He emphasized that the increased prize money and the broader geographic reach are designed to create more opportunities for players at every level, from seasoned tour‑card holders to up‑and‑coming talent on the Challenge and Development Tours. Porter also announced heightened investment in those developmental pathways, with prize money for each Challenge and Development Tour event rising to £30,000 and payouts extending down to the last 128 players. The 2027 calendar will kick off with the traditional Qualifying Schools in Milton Keynes (UK) and Kalkar (Germany) from January 4 to 10, offering hopefuls a chance to earn a coveted tour card. Shortly thereafter, the Winmau World Masters will return to Milton Keynes for a five‑day run from January 27 to 31.
The Premier League will then launch in Glasgow on February 4, beginning a 17‑night tour that will traverse venues across the United Kingdom and Europe before culminating in the Finals Night at The O2 in London on May 27. Meanwhile, the Players Championship series will get underway in February, with a total of 34 events spread across the UK and continental Europe throughout the year. The European Tour will open in Kiel from February 12‑14, before breaking new ground in France the following month.
After the World Cup and the newly minted European Open in June, the season will head back to Blackpool’s iconic Winter Gardens for the World Matchplay, a nine‑day marathon that will conclude on July 25 alongside the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay. The second half of the season will see the European Tour resume in Leverkusen (Germany) in July, before moving on to further stops in Bratislava (Slovakia), Ghent (Belgium), Basel (Switzerland), Budapest (Hungary) and Maastricht (Netherlands).
The World Grand Prix will return to Leicester from September 27 to October 3, and the European Championship will expand to a six‑day format in Dortmund from October 26 to 31. November will host the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (November 6‑14) and the Players Championship Finals in Minehead (November 26‑28).
The year will close with the pinnacle event, the World Darts Championship, staged at London’s Alexandra Palace from early December through early January. Broadcast coverage remains firmly anchored with Sky Sports, which will air the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and World Darts Championship live.
In addition, fans can stream matches and related content via the NOW platform without needing a contractual commitment, ensuring broader accessibility for a global audience. All told, the 2027 season promises a richer, more varied tapestry of darts competition than ever before. For Luke Littler, the added European Open represents both a fresh opportunity and an added hurdle on his path to achieving a historic clean sweep of PDC majors.
For the sport as a whole, the expansion signals a confident step toward cementing darts as a truly pan‑European pastime, with new markets, larger prize pools, and a deeper developmental structure poised to nurture the next generation of champions.